duratracs

[reaper]

I went with 5, FWIW. If you do have to swap in your spare, it's going to be a bit funky if it's got 100% tread (or another tire size) and your other tires are 50%.

 

[skeptic]

I went with 5, FWIW. If you do have to swap in your spare, it's going to be a bit funky if it's got 100% tread (or another tire size) and your other tires are 50%.

It was another thought of mine as well. Honestly though, If I go with 4 tire rotation and need to put on the spare it's only going to be there long enough to get the other one fixed. If the other is damaged beyond safe repair I guess I'd have to decide whether to replace all 4 or if I can get away with making an older one the spare and keeping the 2 new tires on the same axle just rotating side to side. With 5 tire rotation the spare can rotate in, and if a new tire is required it could then just be the spare. Either way, the spare will be the same size and model as the other 4 whether I go with 4 or 5 tire rotation.

 

[08H3]

Come on folks.... I know that you have driven your H3 with 265's and put 315's on. What did it do to the acceleration etc...?

I started w/ 285's to 315's, and there is a noticable difference. Mine is a five speed, so my experience may not translate well to the automatics. I just found that I held the gears longer, but ended up with roughly the same before and after by adjusting driving style. Soon after I got the 315's. I got the PCMforless tune. Only a negligible performance gain, but still well worth it because I gained MPG.

In my opinion, if you go to 315's and then get the tune, you should gain your performance back. I really believe most of that is in the TCM tune on the automatics. Lets face it, unless it's an Alpha, it was a dog to start with. It's still going to be a dog with bigger tires, but the tune can get you back close to original performance.

 

[Hunner]

A five tire rotation would keep them worn the same to avoid any difference in size if that is a concern with the all wheel drive. If you do it from the start they will all be about the same. The theory of saving money next set is not always the case.
Another consideration with our spares hanging on the back in full sunlight is how many years are you planning to keep that unused spare and what condition will it be in after two sets of 4 new tires. UV and dry rot will affect them just like the ones on the ground. If you are depending on a TPM to tell you to check your air pressures you could just buy another sensor next time you buy tires.
I keep the H3 in the garage or shop and my truck sits outside. I can see the tires on the truck getting checked from sun and weather just sitting out there. I may get covers for them since it does not get used much and the tire tread lasts a long time without regular use and mileage.
Same thing on my 40 foot sailboat trailer they used to dry rot before I wore them out. I started covering them several years ago and set them on boards instead of direct ground contact. It has 8 tires!

 

[Hunner]

just got some new shoes today. 315/75/16. hope they perform as good as they look.View attachment 3163View attachment 3164View attachment 3165View attachment 3166

What tires did you have before? Do these run fairly quite compatibly or were you others the original?
Give us a report in 10,000 miles or so. I have not seen any higher mileage reports on these on the forum.
I want something a little less aggressive this next time if I can find something. I do Off-road a lot but still hwy driving on long trips is where I notice the roar. The Cooper STT armor tech 3 ply sidewall carcass has been a great tire but as they wear seem to get louder. Not generally a problem but a consideration.
That tread pattern looks good.
Sorry for all the question but you actually have a set.
Are yours E rated and do you think the sidewalls are soft?
I guess that might be answered by airing down.
I'm just wanting to know.

 

[DJinCO]

Thanks for the reply.

I don't really consider the I5 that bad. It's not a speedracer, but I don't need a speedracer. I want torque! The I5 has nice torque.

Sure, I notice a lot of get-up-and-go between the H3 and my Tahoe.
I would love to have an Alpha. I am keeping an eye out for a clean, low mileage Alpha Adventure.

Hard to give up on my H3. It is really nice and I enjoy it, even with 134K miles on the odo.

 

[Flash]

Another consideration with our spares hanging on the back in full sunlight is how many years are you planning to keep that unused spare and what condition will it be in after two sets of 4 new tires. UV and dry rot will affect them just like the ones on the ground.

303 Protectorant will prolong the life of your tires against UV damage. Highly recommended. Especially for a spare not used in rotation.

 

[Flash]

just got some new shoes today. 315/75/16. hope they perform as good as they look.

Been a big fan of the Duratracs for a couple years now. Went from 265's to 285's and read exactly .8 mph off with the cruise at 70. The 315's are actually a 34.6 and my estimation is not much change on the I5. I have a GM performance intake and it hauls as long as the tranny can downshift into 2. Just got done running trails in Northern MI last weekend with 33" Duratracs and 25,000 miles and they had plenty of bite as long as I didn't get hung up on ice climbing hills. Burnt some rubber and smoked some brake pads on a couple prolonged climbs where ice became the traction medium. TPM'd to get up but there was no mistaking the burnt rubber smell nor the steam coming off the rotors. A couple times got buried and needed a strap - but overall I am really happy with these tires - and the 3.5 I5. Lots of torque and traction and speed when dialed in. 4hi lock in 2 or 4lo lock in 3 will scream up a hill. Plenty of power and speed if the ground will hold. The weight difference between the 315's and 285's isn't much and can be compensated for by a little trail weight adjustment. The advantage of the larger radius of the 315 over rocks is becoming appealing to me.

 

[Pappibri]

Love both sets of mine... Have em on two trucks and love the traction..

 

[rebell_h3]

nice, i'm still trying to convince the wife to let me get new tires. almost had her but the tire guy fixed it, i was sure it couldn't be

 

[Pappibri]

Keep trying friend.. Scratch her back, buy her something she might want...

 

[rebell_h3]

oh i know. i got this wedding to finish paying for that we had last weekend.

 

[rsc]

What tires did you have before? Do these run fairly quite compatibly or were you others the original?
Give us a report in 10,000 miles or so. I have not seen any higher mileage reports on these on the forum.
I want something a little less aggressive this next time if I can find something. I do Off-road a lot but still hwy driving on long trips is where I notice the roar. The Cooper STT armor tech 3 ply sidewall carcass has been a great tire but as they wear seem to get louder. Not generally a problem but a consideration.
That tread pattern looks good.
Sorry for all the question but you actually have a set.
Are yours E rated and do you think the sidewalls are soft?
I guess that might be answered by airing down.
I'm just wanting to know.

I've had Duratracs on mine for 33,000 miles since I bought it used in 2010. The tires might have had 3,000 miles on them when I got it. At the time the hwy ride felt a little squirmy in the corners (probably due to the tall tread), grip in the mud was good but they didn't self-clean at all and would cake up, snow and ice traction was excellent. After about 10,000miles I noticed the squirming in corners go away and the tires were still quiet. At over 33,000 miles the mud traction is still as good but they don't cake up asbadly anymore in the same conditions/trail, road noise is up but only slightly and treadwear looks to be faster than expected but very even. I only rotated the tires at 20,000 and 28,000 miles and see nothing but normal treadwear, but I keep an eye on pressures (41-42) and started out with a perfect alignment. I could probably get 1 mpg better with a less aggressive tire, but still get 17 in the summer commuting on the hwy to work at 70-75 and about 18 on hwy trips at the same speeds. I do notice several small rocks always buried in the tread and they throw up a lot of junk if dirty. I probably will drive 42,000 miles on them, but don't really know how many miles were on them by the time I had bought my 07.

 

[Pappibri]

If it was your wedding congrats, if not I feel your pain...

 

[Pappibri]

Hey RSC... If you go with another aggresive tire, make sure you get them where they offer free rotations for life... Then get them rotated every 3,000-4,000 miles.. You would be surprised how much longer they will last you, even though those did real good, they would have done better.. More aggresive= more frequent..